LaGRANGE, Ga. -- Powered by 10 hits from the 2-5 batters, the fifth-ranked Christopher Newport Captains (16-3-1, 12-2) bounced back for a game two win over the LaGrange Panthers on Saturday, winning 10-4 in USA South Conference action. The Panthers fall to 8-9 overall, 7-7 in the league, as rookie pitcher Brandon Taylor tossed his fourth straight quality start, improving to 4-0 in his first year.

A day after the Captains put just five hits on the board against the Panthers, the CNU offense had at least one hit in all but two innings. After stranding a pair of runners in the first two innings, the Captains broke through with three runs in the third to take the lead. The first two batters were retired, but a two-out rally saw CNU plate three on a Justin Weaver double. Preston Grissom started the spurt with a single, and Billy Steel reached on a hit-by-pitch. After a walk by senior Christopher McDougal, Weaver stepped in and smoked his seventh double of the year into left field, clearing the bases. 

In the fourth, CNU added two more as Paul Keyes tripled to left center field, scoring Tommy Kane. He would come home to score on a single by Grissom through the right side. 

With a 5-0 lead, Taylor was in control on the hill. The freshman lefty stranded eight base runners over six innings of work, allowing just one run to score. In the sixth, LaGrange loaded the bases with just one out, but Taylor gave up just a single run on a single by Nerbonne before striking out two in a row to end the threat. 

He would give way to the bullpen in the seventh and senior Richard Lindsay pitched himself in and out of a jam, leaving the bases loaded. Then in the eighth, Matt Verdillo pitched a perfect 1-2-3 inning with one strikeout. 

LaGrange tacked on three runs in the ninth on sophomore Kyle Goddard, but the CNU offense had piled up 10 runs and would hold on for the big win, 10-4. The heart of the order for CNU would go 10-for-18 in the game, with three extra-base hits and six runs batted in. The four players, Grissom, Steel, McDougal and Weaver, also combined for eight of the 10 CNU runs. 

The rubber match of the series is set for 2:00 pm on Sunday, at Cleaveland Field with live stats and a live video webcast available at CNUsports.com.